The coasting aspect every three weeks will greatly help you recuperate. You may, IF advanced, want to avoid failure on most of this program and keep a rep or two in the hole.
DH
[quote]D Public wrote:
I’m going to do the program…I’m starting it next week…
Probably the only major change I would make is to do 1 set…but the basic premise of training 3x a week and getting ridiculously strong on a couple key exercises will remain…
If I burn out…then so be it…But, I have to try…
[/quote]
Well, you don’t need to add weight EVERY workout. That is a popular myth. Stick with a load until you top out the rep range, THEN you can add load. For example. If you are doing 3x13-15 then use a load that allows you to do something like this even. 1st Set 100lbs and 15 reps, 2nd set 100lbs 14 reps, 3rd set 100lbs 13 reps. Then next time around, if you hit even a rep or two more then you are fine.
More total degradation has occurred and hypertrophy is indeed stimulated. Once you maintain strength density by getting all the sets at the top of the range, above being all 3 sets at 15 reps, THEN add weight. Much like the DC.
Particulary for experienced intermediate and certainly advanced trainees, you will NOT be able to add load at every workout for the same exercise. It looks good on paper and that is all. Use the mind set of adding some WORK each time rather than just load. You may stick with something like this for weeks:
Monday week 1: BB curls: 100lbs 15 reps, 100lbs 14 reps, 100lbs 13 reps
Monday week 2: BB curls: 100lbs 15 reps, 100lbs 14 reps, 100lbs 14 reps
Monday week 3: BB curls: 100lbs 15 reps, 100lbs 15 reps, 100lbs 14 reps
Begin 3 weeks down ramps “hyperadaptation”
More work was done each time with the same load.
Load taps out quickly and is only working one half of the hypertrophy equation. Not efficient.
Best,
DH
[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
SmallToBig wrote:
Not sure where my question went, but my last one (hopefully) is this:
On the 1st set is the last rep meant to be “really hard” to get ?
And then you drop weight on the 2nd and the 3rd set ?
I think thats what you said but just to be sure… don’t want to f*ck it up in anyway.
You want to reach concentric “failure” roughly in the desired rep range on every set.
If you fall short of your rep range or you’re maybe at the very bottom, take some weight off the bar for the next set that day. If you’re in the rep range, keep weight for next set… If you overshoot the rep range, add some weight.
Always try to improve from week to week though…
So if you got 405 x 5, 385 x 6 and 385 x 4 the last friday (3x5-7 with whatever kind of rest-period), then you want something like
405 x 6-7 (or even go up to 410, but after some time you’ll know when to make weight jumps anyway and how much weight to add), 405x5, 385x5 or so.
That’s what I’d do anyway, we’ll see what modok has to say on the matter.
[/quote]
^
I’m not advanced 
Not even intermediate lol this is the 3rd Monday ever i have spent in the gym so my weights will be going up a while yet (hopefully) even if i take 5 hours to move it !
DH I’m gonna take this into consideration I think it’ll help me.
But the squats are killer.
If I do 365x15 reps day 1 squat…the 2nd set I gotta lower it some…like 30lbs, and do 15 reps again, lower another 25lbs and get the last 15 reps in.
In the 2nd week with the 90sec. rest…just can’t do anymore than that lol
I make the first set pretty damn hard…I like to pretty much do it until I can’t anymore.
I don’t really want to burn out though I am worried bout ti a little…especially as I get stronger.
I’m gonna keep on this program till I get to 218lbs. and see where I’m at and see if I’m slightly content.
But I think I’ll add that into the program…I know I won’t b able to add weight constantly…but I can add another rep I think for sure.
Let’s say on a 8-10 rep day I do
300x10 (near max), rest then 300x9, 300x8…follow your way.
But could I also do 300x10, 290x10, 280x10 and
2nd week 300x10, 295x10, 285x10
Would that work too?
Ha…ha. true enough. Newbs can boost weights the fastest, BUT be careful, you can become injured by pushing too hard too fast. Do just enough to stimulate and then get out. take if from me, if I could go back and coach myself. I’d say “settle” and be a bit more patient. Let growth happen rather than force it to happen. There’s a lifetime of learning in that one statement.
Form over load, STB. Form over load. Paste it to your gym shorts.
DH
[quote]SmallToBig wrote:
^
I’m not advanced
Not even intermediate lol this is the 3rd Monday ever i have spent in the gym so my weights will be going up a while yet (hopefully) even if i take 5 hours to move it ![/quote]
yes overall. Progression is only linear for beginners.
As long as progress is trending upward, then you’re good to go. Now this can be confusing because one guy may zig and zag a litte less or a little more.
for example:
Maybe you stall out on adding reps before you hit all 3 sets of 15 (citing my example above again here). Do you change the exercise? Maybe. DC will do that and that is certainly an option. But as long as you keep progressing you’re fine.
AND there are times when I will “hover” a bit too. For the advanced lifter, you may hit the same load and reps 2-3 sessions in a row. For me, if no form of progress can be made after the 3rd session for that particular move, I will make some adjustment like a new tweak on the move, a new move entirely, etc…
Change the idea of always moving upward in nice linear fashion into one where you coast sometimes and ride a weight out a few times when you seem to have maxed on it. Its not that you aren’t stimulating the muscle or adapting. Rather that adaptation comes in spurts.
SIDE NOTE: Changing exercises every few weeks is NOT the best option contrary to many experts opinions. The strength increases you get are all too often intra and intermuscular coordination. In short CNS adaptations are confused for tissue adaptations.
DH
[quote]rasturai wrote:
DH I’m gonna take this into consideration I think it’ll help me.
But the squats are killer.
If I do 365x15 reps day 1 squat…the 2nd set I gotta lower it some…like 30lbs, and do 15 reps again, lower another 25lbs and get the last 15 reps in.
In the 2nd week with the 90sec. rest…just can’t do anymore than that lol
I make the first set pretty damn hard…I like to pretty much do it until I can’t anymore.
I don’t really want to burn out though I am worried bout ti a little…especially as I get stronger.
I’m gonna keep on this program till I get to 218lbs. and see where I’m at and see if I’m slightly content.
But I think I’ll add that into the program…I know I won’t b able to add weight constantly…but I can add another rep I think for sure.
Let’s say on a 8-10 rep day I do
300x10 (near max), rest then 300x9, 300x8…follow your way.
But could I also do 300x10, 290x10, 280x10 and
2nd week 300x10, 295x10, 285x10
Would that work too?[/quote]
Ok, now this program has really sparked my interest. Damn you all, you’re giving me training ADD.
[quote]Mr.Purple wrote:
Ok, now this program has really sparked my interest. Damn you all, you’re giving me training ADD.[/quote]
Stick to the yates thing, really. You got to get your technique in order first before even considering this… (I don’t want you end up messing up your low-back and knees here)
[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
Mr.Purple wrote:
Ok, now this program has really sparked my interest. Damn you all, you’re giving me training ADD.
Stick to the yates thing, really. You got to get your technique in order first before even considering this… (I don’t want you end up messing up your low-back and knees here)
[/quote]
I wasn’t really considering switching. I’m a structural mess, inhibited muscles abound, tendinitis etc. At least now I know that my QL muscles are a problem, and have discovered a way to mend the situation. I don’t really have any lumbar pain, just inhibited glutes and so, which I guess those QL’s have to pick up the slack for.
/hijack
Thanks DH
I’ll ride out the program and adjust accordingly.
Yall definitely piqued my interest in this program, and I’ve been researching for a new program to do so I bought the book. I think Im going to start it up in august when I get back to school.
I’m jumping in.
I thought I’d jump in and add my two cents. A little over a year ago, before I was a member here, I was looking for a new program and I came across some old threads where DH and MODOK talked about BBB and the results they had. I did some research and bought the e-book.
Some people claim overtraining and there’s an old article on the site somewhere where Poliquin calls it garbage, but it’s by far my favorite program. Thanks to DH and MODOK for turning me on to it.
After all this talk and after reading the thread, I had to buy the Ebook (for only 19.95, it’s a no-brainer) and totally plan on doing this after I get back from Summer plans and the “away from home” work I’m doing during the summer.
All the talk about the amazing gains and stuff is too provocative to pass up.
AD
PS: Good to see ya, DH.
[quote]SPP wrote:
I thought I’d jump in and add my two cents. A little over a year ago, before I was a member here, I was looking for a new program and I came across some old threads where DH and MODOK talked about BBB and the results they had. I did some research and bought the e-book.
Some people claim overtraining and there’s an old article on the site somewhere where Poliquin calls it garbage, but it’s by far my favorite program. Thanks to DH and MODOK for turning me on to it. [/quote]
^
Yeah. Poliquin ticked me off with that flip statement. I like some of his stuff quite alot, but he is a bit too dogmatic on things that just aren’t so easily settled.
Modok, have you tried Titan? I absolutely love the muscle rounds. But they are brutal, man. I think it’s best not to do the entire body in muscle round fashion as per the program. I like to take 2 bodyparts and do rounds instead.
DH
AD, are you the one who started the original “my experience on the anaoblic diet” thread"?
Also, there is one thing too I would go back and tell myself if I could do it all over again when I started BBB. Leo never really talks too much about taking time off. I am a BIG believer in off weeks. Particulary for folks with some years of experience. So, if you just get to feeling run down (and you will at some point) then take a week off. I hate to put a time frame on that because it varys and is dependent on so many factors. But if you are burning like a house on fire each morning and your joints feel dry as dust, then take a week off.
Now, just be aware that at first you will feel pretty hammered due to the frequency if you do the 6x per week option. Get through your first 9 weeks at least at first. That would be a 3 week ramp, a 3 week coast, and a second 3 week ramp. Here is where some may need to assess if they need an off week. If you take it, then start over with that second ramp and carry on forward. The off week will have resensitized you to that same program on “ramp 2” so no worries.
Have fun. and dont forget to eat, stretch, and supplement wisely. Recovery is everything. For those who consume CHO I’d suggest trying some Vitargo here. GNC (online anyway) has it for $20 if you have a gold card.
DH
[quote]AlphaDragon wrote:
After all this talk and after reading the thread, I had to buy the Ebook (for only 19.95, it’s a no-brainer) and totally plan on doing this after I get back from Summer plans and the “away from home” work I’m doing during the summer.
All the talk about the amazing gains and stuff is too provocative to pass up.
AD
PS: Good to see ya, DH.
[/quote]
Recovery def. a big thing with this program. I have to stretch more though I know this.
I’ve been takin 25-30g’s of BCAA’s durin the workout…a very good post workout meal…and of course protein shakes…creatine, multivitamin, fish oil, 50mg zinc and 300mg mag before bedtime.
I seem to be recovering very good.
After 4th day of 8-10 reps…i was surprised i wasn’t sore AT ALL the next day. and man I pushed it hard.
But I have also upped my intake of food. I actually been feelin sick how much I been eating lately, I might have to back off cals a bit.
DH I was thinkin because Ièm using failry heavy weights that after I do my ramp 3 weeks (in the 2nd week rigth now) and do my supergrowth phase for 3 weeks (might be longer though if Ièm still makin gains)
I was thnkin of taking a week off then, on the 4th week…then ramping up What do you think.
Cause on supergrowth for the 5-7 reps day. Well if I do a heavy heavy lift for my first set and itès almost a 5rep max, thatès eventually gonna burn me out. What do you think
Thanks!
[quote]DH wrote:
AD, are you the one who started the original “my experience on the anaoblic diet” thread"?
[/quote]
nah, I didn’t start it but was a very active contributor to it for a year or so.
(hijack over)
AD
I weighed myself today have put on 7lbs since 10 days ago !
My legs look really good i can see different parts of my quads lol they aren’t 1 big leg anymore!
Also got my 1st stretch mark on my back must be from Dumbbell Rows, all in all GOOD DEAL for me !
Onwards i go, I’ll purchase a camera by the end of Ramp 1 i definitely look like i lift now my back looks bloody good now separation and you can see my traps pretty well.
All in all im well psyched about the next 16 and a half weeks come end of the program i should look different (hopefully !)
And again (:P) BIG thank you to Cephalic and Modok !